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My Sister’s Cure Was Always My Man
Novelix
Completed
"My sister had what she called a touch-starvation disorder. Every time I brought a boyfriend home, she had an “episode.” If I got up in the middle of the night, she would crawl into his bed and cling to him. If he was taking a shower, she would slip into the bathroom and try to touch him. Whenever I caught her, she would cry and say she could not help it. My boyfriend, apparently, was her cure. That was how Vanessa stole one boyfriend after another. But when I came home alone, she never had an episode. In my last life, I asked if she was doing it on purpose. She sobbed and threatened to jump from the balcony to prove her innocence. My parents and relatives all took her side. “It’s just a man. If your sister needs him, let her have him.” “She’s sick. Be more understanding. Do you really want to push her to her death?” Later, I only dared to bring my fiance home for dinner the night before our engagement party. I planned to eat and leave. Vanessa had another episode anyway. She smashed a bowl, cut open my neck with the broken edge, then threw herself into my fiance’s arms. “I’m sorry,” she cried. “Claire, I really can’t control myself.” I was lying in a pool of blood. My parents were still saying, “Your sister is having an episode. Once she calms down, we’ll take you to the hospital.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Vanessa’s “illness” began. So I announced, right then and there, that the whole family should spend Labor Day weekend at my boyfriend’s mountain lodge in Aspen. This time, I wanted to see if Vanessa’s illness could be cured by a man who was not mine."
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
My sister had what she called a touch-starvation disorder.
Every time I brought a boyfriend home, she had an “episode.”
If I got up in the middle of the night, she would crawl into his bed and cling to him. If he was taking a shower, she would slip into the bathroom and try to touch him.
Whenever I caught her, she would cry and say she could not help it. My boyfriend, apparently, was her cure.
That was how Vanessa stole one boyfriend after another.
But when I came home alone, she never had an episode.
In my last life, I asked if she was doing it on purpose. She sobbed and threatened to jump from the balcony to prove her innocence.
My parents and relatives all took her side.
“It’s just a man. If your sister needs him, let her have him.”
“She’s sick. Be more understanding. Do you really want to push her to her death?”
Later, I only dared to bring my fiance home for dinner the night before our engagement party. I planned to eat and leave.
Vanessa had another episode anyway.
She smashed a bowl, cut open my neck with the broken edge, then threw herself into my fiance’s arms.
“I’m sorry,” she cried. “Claire, I really can’t control myself.”
I was lying in a pool of blood. My parents were still saying, “Your sister is having an episode. Once she calms down, we’ll take you to the hospital.”
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Vanessa’s “illness” began.
So I announced, right then and there, that the whole family should spend Labor Day weekend at my boyfriend’s mountain lodge in Aspen.
This time, I wanted to see if Vanessa’s illness could be cured by a man who was not mine.
...
When I realized I had been reborn, I was holding Adrian’s hand, about to head upstairs for bed.
Vanessa was staring straight at his face.
Adrian leaned closer and whispered, “Why is your sister staring at me like that? It’s creepy.”
He had said the same thing in my last life.
Back then, I teased him for being full of himself. That same night, Vanessa walked naked into the bathroom while he was showering.
Adrian had always been mildly autistic. The shock triggered a breakdown. The next day, his family sent him to a treatment center in Switzerland. I never saw him again.
After that, whenever I brought a boyfriend home, Vanessa repeated the same act.
She would sneak into his bed when I went to the bathroom. Or she would corner him while he was showering.
Every boyfriend I had was either scared off or stolen.
After each time, she cried and said she had not meant to do it. She was sick. She had lost control.
My parents said, “Your sister didn’t mean it. He’s just a man. Is he more important than your own sister?”
My relatives said, “Vanessa is pitiful. You’re the younger one. Be generous.”
Everyone told me to make room for Vanessa’s illness.
So she got bolder.
In the end, she used one of her episodes to smash a bowl, cut my throat, and lunge at my fiance.
I begged them to take me to the hospital.
My parents snapped, “Stop making trouble. Can’t you see your sister is unwell?”
I bled out while they comforted her.
Now, after hearing Adrian’s whisper, I turned to Vanessa.
She seemed surprised I had looked back. Then she smiled sweetly.
“It’s late,” she said. “You two should go to bed.”
She did not look sick at all.
Back in the room, Adrian went to shower.
Sure enough, just like in my last life, the bathroom doorknob began to turn.
Chapter 2
The bathroom lock in my parents’ house had always been faulty.
Even when it was locked, someone outside could jiggle it open.
Through the crack in the door, I heard Vanessa mutter, “Why does she get a boyfriend like him?”
Then, colder, “Everything good in this family should be mine. Including Adrian.”
My stomach turned cold.
So that was how she saw it. Not as stealing. As taking what already belonged to her.
The lock clicked louder and louder.
Then the door opened.
Vanessa slipped inside, wrapped in a towel.
And froze.
“Why are you here?”
Adrian and I were sitting on the edge of the tub, soaking our feet.
I looked up, innocent. “What’s wrong, Vanessa? Did you need the bathroom?”
She bit her lip, eyes flicking to Adrian.
Then she made up her mind and threw herself at him.
“Claire, don’t blame me,” she cried. “I can’t control it. I think I’m having another episode.”
She thought if she managed to touch Adrian in front of me, our relationship would be damaged even if we did not break up.
Too bad for her, Adrian moved fast.
He pulled me aside.
Vanessa missed him and fell straight into the tub with a scream.
The noise brought my parents and the relatives who were staying over for the holiday rushing to the bathroom.
My mother reacted first. She grabbed a robe and wrapped it around Vanessa.
“What happened?”
Vanessa’s eyes reddened. “I had another episode. I couldn’t control myself.”
Mom stroked her hair. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it.”
Then she turned to me.
“Since Vanessa and Adrian already had intimate contact, you should step aside.”
“Your sister can’t help her illness. Don’t blame her.”
Dad nodded. “Vanessa isn’t herself when this happens. Don’t fight her over him.”
Aunt Linda chimed in. “Exactly. She’s sick. You’re her sister. Be more patient.”
“He’s a grown man. A kiss, a touch, what’s the big deal?”
“The sick person comes first.”
Chloe added, “Just let Vanessa have this. You can always find someone else.”
Adrian’s grip tightened around my hand.
I frowned. “What intimate contact? Vanessa never even touched Adrian. She fell into the tub.”
Everyone went quiet.
Vanessa lowered her head and cried as if I had wronged her.
Before Mom could scold me, I spoke first.
“Oh, right. Adrian said he wants to invite everyone to his family’s lodge in Aspen for Labor Day weekend.”
“The hot springs there might help Vanessa. Maybe they’ll even cure her.”
The room lit up with interest.
Only Vanessa kept staring at Adrian.
I smiled coldly.
Wasn’t she touch-starved?
Fine. I would give her plenty of chances to test that illness on someone else.
Chapter 3
Early the next morning, Chloe invited Aunt Margaret and her boyfriend to join us at the Aspen lodge.
By sunrise, we were packed tight into one car.
Mom sat beside Vanessa and said to me, with a little guilt, “About last night. I didn’t understand the situation. But your sister can’t help herself, Claire. Don’t take it to heart.”
Aunt Margaret immediately leaned in. “What happened last night?”
Chloe whispered the story to her.
Aunt Margaret slapped her thigh. “Poor Vanessa. When an illness hits, who can control it?”
Then she turned to me. “Don’t be so harsh. Boyfriends can be replaced. Adrian is handsome and rich. If he can’t be your fiance, he can be your brother-in-law. Either way, he stays in the family.”
Vanessa blushed. Her eyes kept drifting to Adrian.
“Adrian is wonderful,” she said softly. “But he’s Claire’s boyfriend. I’d never have done that if I weren’t sick.”
Mom gave me a look. “See? Your sister is so considerate. Honestly, she and Adrian seem better matched.”
Aunt Linda rolled her eyes at me. “You’ve been sulking since we got in the car. It was one little thing. You’ve always been petty. Nothing like Vanessa.”
Everyone nodded.
I stayed quiet and felt grateful I had given Adrian headphones before we left.
Vanessa always worked like this. She only had to hint at what she wanted, and someone else would fight for it. Afterward, she would play innocent and guilty.
In my last life, her first “episode” happened with her college roommate’s boyfriend.
She cried afterward and claimed she had blacked out. The next day, she produced a diagnosis for touch-starvation disorder.
Adrian was her second episode.
When she walked into his shower naked, she looked just as fragile and pitiful.
She had not expected Adrian to break down too. He covered his ears and curled up on the floor.
My parents blamed me.
“Look at the man you brought home. He looks normal, but he’s autistic? He scared Vanessa.”
I broke down and said Vanessa had been the one to walk in on him.
Mom snapped, “What was she supposed to do? She was sick.”
Three years later, I brought home another boyfriend, a gentle university lecturer.
Vanessa had not had an episode in three years, so I let my guard down.
That night, while I was in the bathroom, she climbed into his bed and touched him.
Aunt Linda said, “At this point, why not let them be together?”
Chloe said, “It’s just a man. Be generous. Find someone better later.”
That night, my boyfriend became Vanessa’s boyfriend.
Mom even smiled and said, “They look good together. Now Vanessa has someone to care for her.”
After that, even when Vanessa had a boyfriend of her own, she still found excuses to get close to mine.
She kept taking until I died.
...
When we reached the lodge, Adrian arranged the whole place for us.
There were nine bedrooms.
My parents and Vanessa took rooms on the second floor. Aunt Margaret had one room. Chloe and her boyfriend took one on the third floor. Aunt Linda and Richard stayed in the far-left room on the first floor.
Three rooms were left.
Everyone went to unpack.
Only Vanessa lingered, watching which room Adrian and I would choose.
We picked the middle room on the first floor.
Before going in, I said loudly, “By the way, none of these rooms have locks. We’re all family, so it should be fine.”
Everyone agreed.
Vanessa’s eyes flashed.
After lunch, we all went to the hot springs.
Aunt Linda said, “Vanessa, don’t have an episode later. If you touch Adrian, Claire won’t let it go.”
Vanessa glanced at Adrian and bit her lip. “Don’t worry. I’ll control myself.”
Mom immediately comforted her. “It’s okay if you can’t. Claire won’t blame you.”
I smiled as I wrapped myself in a towel.
“Of course. If Vanessa loses control, we’ll all understand. She can’t choose when it happens.”
Then I looked at the men around us.
“But there are a lot of men here today. Make sure you open your eyes before you have an episode. You wouldn’t want to walk into the wrong room.”
Richard’s gaze slipped over Vanessa’s body.
Mom snapped, “What nonsense. Can’t you say something nice about your sister?”
Aunt Margaret glared at me. “You’re heartless.”
Aunt Linda laughed. “So what if she walks into the wrong room? If Vanessa is sick, we’ll accept it. We’re not as petty as you.”
Richard nodded. “Exactly. Young people are too rigid.”
They spent forty minutes attacking me in the hot spring.
Then Dad suggested we wash up before dinner.
As everyone headed back, Vanessa slowed down on purpose and watched Adrian and me enter the middle room.
Only then did she go upstairs.
Adrian and I pressed ourselves against the wall and waited.
When the shower started in the room next door, we looked at each other and smiled.
The show was about to begin.
